Valance clip and method of positioning valvance boards



Jan. 16, 1945. H. WRIGHT ET AL VALANCE CLIP AND METHOD OF POSITIONING VALAN'C BOARDS Filed Jan; 21, 1942 Patented Jan. 16, 1945 VALANCE CLIP AND METHOD oF PosITIoN- ING vALANoE BOARDS Richard H. Wright, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and Frederick Buick, Dallas` Tex, assignors to The Guarantee Specialty Manufacturing Company, Cleveland,l Ohio, a corporationof Ohio application January 21, 1942, seriaiNo. izvssV 2 claims. (111.2484262) 'I'his invention relates to Venetian blinds, and more particularly, to yhardware generally associated therewith, the particular'piecer of hardware being what is known as a valance clip. The valance clips generally used today stantially U-shaped members adapted to engage with a head bar or rail, and provided with screw openings whereby the valance'board, o-r theflike,

is fastened to the valance clip, and then posi.

, 1 U 10. Heretofore, it hasabeen found that considertioned on the head bar or rail.

able diiculty arose in positioning the-'valance board properly along its upper edge so as to;be in substantial engagementwith the top of the window frame in which the rVenetian blind is positioned since ordinarily the valance clips are initially positioned rearwardly ofr the valance are suband thus effectuate considerable saving in thev Y manufacture thereof.

Further and moreparticularobJects of the 1nvention will appear during the'course of the description of the invention,and as'shown in the drawing. In the drawing: a

Figure 1 Ais a `front view of a port1on of `a v valance board in place on a Venetian blind, havboard, and thereafter, the valance clips engage the head bar or rail by being frictionally engaged therewith in the U-shaped opening provided by the clip, l f l Under certain conditions where the window yframe is not exactly true, or where thehead bar is, of necessity, at different distances in certain places in its length, with respect to the upper portion of the window frame, ithas been found difficult to accurately place the valance'board with respect to the clips, whereby subsequently when the unit is positioned on the head bar ork rail, there will be spaces or space left between the topedge of the board and the lower portion of the upper frame member, and thus the appearance of the valance board, as 'a Whole, will mar the effect of the blind. y'

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to so form the valance clip or bracket member that regardless of the angle or relationship of the head bar or rail with respect to the upper portion of the window frame, the valance board may be properly positioned with a minimum of trial and error procedure in accordance with the new method herein presented.

It is a further object of this invention to eliminate the necessity of usingmore than one fastening member to hold the valance board in engagement with the valance clip and at the same time to. assure'the maintenance of a proper relationship of the valance clip with respect to the valance v board, whereby thevalance clip will not become ing a portion of the board broken `away to show the relationship of the clip or bracket with respect thereto, as ordinarily used. f Figure 2isl a sectional view taken on theline 2-2 of Figure l, showing the general relationship of the lhead bar and tilt rail and valance members; as they are used inl Venetian blind prac'` tise today.

Figure "3 `is `a greatly enlarged view of the valance clip or bracket itself, illustrating the novel features vof the invention residing therein.

Referring now to Figure 1, the upper portion of a ,window frame is indicated by the numeral' I-v,

as having supported therebeneath the head bar or rail 2, engaged by the Valanceclip or bracket generally denoted -3 The valance board or member is-,denoted 4, and is held in place beneath the winldow frame member I by the valance clip, as indicated in the drawing.

To understand more particularly the relationship of the various members and partswhioh make up the lvalance, clip, reference is here made to Figure 2, wherein the valance clip is shown as comprising spaced side members 5 and Ii, and an end member l. The side member I isl provided with a downwardly curved portion 'I adapted to facilitate the emplacement of the Valance clip and board in its associated relationship upon the head rail or bar, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. f

The end member '1, hereinbefore referred to, has formed therein an elongated slot 8 adapted to receive a screw or fastening member 9 by which the valance clip or bracket is held in engagemen with the valance board 4, f

As will be noted from a reference to Figure 3,

the elongated slot 8 is provided at one end at the junction of the spaced side member 5 and the end memberfl, with a'notched-out portion I0, whereby the head of the screw-9 may be introduced into the elongated slot 8 subsequent to emplacement of the screw or fastening 9 upon the Valance board 4.

As will be readily observed, the valance board #may be adjusted in any one of several positions with respect Ato the upper window frame member I, and to facilitate the proper location of the valance board 4 with respect to the valance clip 3, spaced embedding projections H are provided at opposite sides of the slot 8, whereby when the screw is loosely engaged with the valance clip or member 3 in the Valance board 4,-and' the valance clip or bracket is emplaced upon the head rail 2by pressing firmly against the sharpened ends of the projections Il, indentations will be formed in the valance board 4.

Of course, it is apparent that the valance board 4 `will be pressed upwardly .intcirm engagement at its upper edge with the upper windowrame member I, wherefore to ensure tight and proper engagement thereof.

Subsequently, the valanceboardandassociated clip are thereafter removedl from thelhead baror rail, and the screw 9 is firmly drawn up so that the end member 'l is in engagement Wi'thvthe inner portion of valance board 4, it, of course, being apparent that the projections ll are properly placed with'relationship-to lthe"indentationsnatie in the valance board. Thereaiter, thefvalance board land its .associated vclipnfiayme emplaced or frem'oved upon the liead bar fori'. frail, whereby the proper positioning'fof'the same willdbeiassured, and there will be'lnorcrackdorlother \un sightly appearance o'f'the fboardwith respect fto the window 'frame imember l As willibe seenfuponfreference lto Figure'. 3; the

valance clip `3 F is provided with pressed-out strengthening ribs 1.2, extending substantially throughout the length of rthesides and continuing around thexend .member-,'.thus'assur-ing firm maintenance :of Athe unit' as F1a 1Wh'ole,.up0n"the head'bar i orv rail', with whichiit is associated.

Initially, the lower member S is `general-1f,y formed so ythat;z*the\flowermember 6 isb'eing slightly inwardly 'atv itsouterend 1, toward the end member '5,11'thus yassuring -aL tight 'frictional engagement vlof fthe' valance i clip Yor bracketvl 3, .whenit s'frictionaliy iengaged fwit'hfthe head bar or rail 2.

: Ylrointhe foregoing, it' will be readily apparent that there hasbeen lprovided -a novelvalance clip or :bracket effecting :economyiof manufacture and lfacilitating ease of emplacement upon a valance board or the like, whereby the same is properly positioned with respect to a window frame member, and a minimum amount of metal, or other substance, may be used to form the Valance clip or bracket.

Havingthus describedour invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters vPatent of the United States, is: p

l. As a new article of manufacture, a valance 4clip inthe formof a substantially U-shaped member, :comprising spaced sides, and an end member,..said end member having an elongated I'slot `formed therein to receive a fastening mem- '.ber.by, whichthe clip or bracket is held in engagement ywith a valance board, the said end member having projection means extending therefrom in adirection opposite said sides, for making-.indicating depressions in a Valance board by which the proper position of the clip thereon may ,bedetermined `f2."1"hennethod of'properly positioning Ya valanceflboarduponpa Venetian blind equipped window frame, Whichin'cludes `loosely attaching valance "clips, formed :with indicating projections thereon, .to theinner side of the Valance board, thereupon engaging the clips with the head rail on the .window'frama then adjusting the valance boardiby movement of the same relative to the clips so the board will `snugly t against the top portion' Vofthe window frame, 'then pressing the l'board-against the headzrail to cause the projections of the-.clipstoximpress"the inner `side of the board with' indicating impressions establishing theiaccurate Iproper position ofthe clipsvas related-to the-'board vto hold the board in properly ttedin relation to the window frame, thereupon removing 1the board with the loosely vattached clips,.then vfasteningt'he clips tightly to the valance `boa-rdinthe positions indicated by the indicating impressions previously made, and ,11eplacing the board with the clips engaging-the head ral.-

'RICHARD' H. WRIGHT. "FREDERICK BUICK. 

